A couple was having their Sunday morning breakfast. When they were done the wife went to get dressed for church. When she returned her husband was still in his bathrobe.

" Aren't you going to church this morning?" she asks

"No, I'm not going to church this morning. In fact I'm not going to church anymore, at all."

"What do you mean? We've gone to church for years, so why the change?

Here are some helpful hints to save unnecessary service calls.

  Older homes have fuse boxes while most new ones have circuit breakers. Both perform the same function. Whenever a short circuit or overload situation occurs, the device shuts off electricity to that circuit, preventing both shocks and fire hazards.

Whenever an appliance stops working, first test the outlet with a lamp or radio. If the circuit is dead, turn off anything you know to be on the same circuit and go to your electrical box, usually located in the basement. If you have a circuit breaker, look for the one switch that is slightly out of alignment. Turn it off and turn it back on again. If you have a fuse box, replace the burnt-out fuse. If the appliance cuts out a second time, you may be overloading the circuit. Try the appliance ( if it is 110) in another part of the house. If it continues to cut out you may have a short in the appliance.

Tips for your washing machine:

1. When washing lightweight clothes always make sure the tub is full to the proper level and never wash on the highest agitation. The higher the agitation, the more suction created. This will cause the clothes to become lodged under the agitator. The highest agitation is only needed for extremely soiled things such as greasy work clothes.
   
   
2. Never use more than 1/2 of the provided cup of laundry detergent. Use 1/4 cup for smaller loads.

Thoroughly clean the residue from inside your machine. Because most detergents are made from animal fat they will cause a residue inside your machine tub. This residue is caused from using too much detergent. In turn, this will cause an odor in the machine and in your clothes, and will not allow 100% of the detergent to be removed from your clothing. The problem of too much detergent continues to build upon itself. If it's been awhile since your machine has been professionally cleaned, it's easy to do at home. First, you must unplug the machine. You can remove the outer shell of the machine with a screwdriver bit on your drill. This will show the actual washing tub (the part between the internal porcelain tub and the shell). The tub in many machines are plastic. Along the top few inches of the outer tub you will most likely find a dark residue, this is the result of too much detergent and not cleaning your machine often enough. You can remove this with a toilet brush. After doing this, run an empty cycle (hot water, full water level) on high agitation through the machine. Make sure to thoroughly dry your hands and all surfaces before plugging the machine back in. If you are uncomfortable with this, call a professional. If you continue with the monthly cleaning as stated below, you shouldn't have to repeat this procedure more than every 1-2 years.

**WARNING**

Never run a microwave with nothing in it.

Microwave ovens heat food by bombarding the food or liquid  with high frequency microwave sound energy. If there is no food or liquid to absorb the energy it can feed back to the magnatron that produces the energy, and overload it. This may cause irrepairable damage to the microwave.

Use Coffee Filters to:

1. Diffuse the flash on a camera.

 When you’re taking a close-up, soften the brightness by placing a coffee filter over the flash.
2. Strain wine from a bottle with a broken cork. Place the filter over a pitcher or a carafe and slowly pour the wine into it.
3. Serve popcorn or other snacks. The filters act as disposable bowls, so there’s no dishwashing.
4. Make yogurt dip. Use a rubber band to secure a paper coffee filter over the mouth of a deep cup or jar. Slowly pour 8 ounces of plain yogurt onto the filter. Let drain for one hour. In a bowl, mix the thickened yogurt with 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers.
5. Heat up leftovers in the microwave. Use a filter as the protective covering over a bowl or a plate.
6. Prevent soil from draining out of flowerpots. When repotting, place a filter at the bottom, over the drainage hole, then add the soil.
7. Prevent scuffs and scratches on fine china. Use flattened coffee filters as spacers when you stack your dishes.
8. Protect hands from Popsicle drippage. Slide the wooden stick of an ice pop through a coffee filter so your hands stay mess-free.
9. Serve pita sandwiches. A circular filter is the perfect size for carrying a sandwich on the go.
10. Clean windows and glass when you’re out of paper towels. Coffee filters leave no lint or other residue.

Check back frequently for new tips and hints!